Ground connection for electrical appliances



Dec. 28, 1937. A. w. SEYFRIED 2,103,758

GROUND CONNECTION FOR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES Filed Aug. 8, 1933 INVENTOR flRrHuw W SEYFRIED.

ATTOR Y Patented Dec. 28, 1937 UNITED STATES GROUND CONNECTION FOR ELECTRICAL APPIJANCES Arthur W. Seyl'rled, Cleveland, Ohio, assiznor to The Apex Electrical Manufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 8, 1933, Serial No.'684,191

4 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical appliances and in particular safety devices for protecting the users 01 such appliances from electrical shocks.

A great many electrical appliances, as for example, washing machine, depend upon the floor contacting support of the machine for grounding the same to the earth in the event of leakage of electrical current to the frame of the machine from the feed cables or the operating motor of the machine. "This type of ground. is not entirely satisfactory in that it often happens that the body of the user of the appliance ofiers a path of less electrical resistance than the floor contact of the machine, as for example in the case of where the operator of a washing machine would turn on a water faucet with one hand when the other hand is in contact with the machine. Cases of this sort have often caused serious injury.

Recently there has been a demand on the part 0 of the buying public for the use of rubber casters on washing machines and the like in place of metal casters and the use of rubber casters tends to still further increase the danger to the operator of a machine which is so equipped by reason of the fact that such casters are not electrical conductors. I

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of an'electrically operated appliance with means for obviating the danger of electrical shock to the user of the machine.

Another object of this invention relates to the provision of an improved combined water supply hose and ground connection for an electrically operated laundry machine.

A further object of this invention relates to the provision of an improved water supply means for laundry machines and the like.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts, hereinafter illustrated and described in some of its embodiments in the accompanying drawing, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figure .1 is a perspective view of a washing machine and its connection to a source of water supply, illustrating one mode of practicing the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken through the axis of one of the filler hose couplings; and Figures 3 and 4 are detail sectional views taken on lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Figure 2.

A domestic washing machine was selected for the purpose of illustrating one mode of practicing this invention although obviously the in- II vention is not limited to this general class of machines nor to the particular type of machine illustrated herein.

The washing machine shown in the drawing comprises a tub or casing I carried on a base or stand 2 supported by legs 3 which are provided at their lower ends with casters 4. These casters may be formed of any suitable material and in the present case it is preferred to use a composition wheel having a soft rubber tread so that in moving the machine about from place to place the floor surface is not marred or scratched by the casters.

Within the casing I there are housed washing instrumentalities 21 which are driven by an electric motor 5. The operation of the washing instrumentalities and the operation of the motor are under control of a shiftable member 6 which is located at a convenient point in the base memher 2 of the machine. The tub I is provided with a drain-cock l for the drainage of its contents. A removable cover 8 is provided for the working opening in the top of the tub.

A wringer 9 is carried above the top of the machine. This wringer is mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis. Control levers l0 and ii respectively, control the operation of the rolls of the wringer and the movement of the wringer about its Vertical pivotal axis. Alongside of the wringer supporting column l2 there is provided a nozzle l3 which may be rigidly secured to the wringer column or some other part of the machine as is most convenient. The discharge mouth of this nozzle is located so as to discharge water into the tub when such nozzle is connected to a source of water supply.

A hose I4 is provided for connecting the nozzle to a source of water supply. This hose is provided at each end with detachable fittings indicated generally by the numeral l5 one of which connects the hose to the nozzle l3 and the other of which connects the hose to a water faucet l8 which in turn is in communication with a water supply line I1.

Figures 2, 3, and 4 illustrate in detail the construction of the hose connections. These fittings each comprise a relatively'short section of corrugated tubing 18 which is received interiorly in the end of the hose. The tubing I8 has a bent over part l9 which contacts at one side with soft; rubber washer 20 and at the other side with an inturned part 2| of a threaded coupling member 22 by means of which detachable connection of the hose to the faucet I6 and the nozzle l3 may be eiiected. The end of the hose is secured to the corrugated tube l8 by means of a metal band 26 which is covered with an insulating band 25 of electrically non-conducting material. The coupling member 22 is also covered with an insulating sheath or covering 23.

The connections for the opposite ends of the hose are substantial duplicates of each other and the members. I 8-l 8 of such fittings are electrically connected to each other by a flexible metal cable 24 by means ofwhich the frame and casing of the washing machine are grounded to the water supply line ll which is ordinarily formed from metal pipes so as to provide an excellent ground for the machine.

By reason of the arrangement disclosed herein, an electrical path of low resistance is provided for electrical currents which may result from short-circuiting or grounding of the motor to the machine parts or from short-circuiting of any of the wiring of the machine and the user of such a machine is thus protected by reason of there being provided an electrically conducting path of relatively low resistance for the grounding of a machine and the danger or harmful electrical shocks to the user of the machine is greatly lessened if not wholly obviated by reason of such safety provisions. I

Furthermore it is to be understood that the particular forms of apparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forth are presented for purposes of explanation and that various modifications of said apparatus and procedure can be made without departure from this invention as described in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A portable laundry machine comprising a tub having a working opening in the top thereof. a wringer column alongside said tub, a hollow fixture for liquid fixedly carried at the top of the tub alongside of said wringer column, said fixture including a nozzle adjacent to and rigid with the' wringer column and positioned to discharge into the working opening of the tub, a liquid supply hose connected atone end to said fixture, and means at the other end of said hose for detachably connecting the same to a water supply line.

2. A portable electrically operated laundry machine comprising a tub having a working opening in the top thereof, a-hollow metal fixture for liquid fixedly carried at the top of the tub and in electrical contact with the structure of the machine, said fixture including a nozzle rigid with the fixture and positioned to discharge into the upper portion of the tub, a liquid supply hose connected at one end to said fixture, a fitting at the other end of said hose for detachably connecting the same to a water supply line, and electrically conducting means carried by the hose having electrical contact with said fixture and fitting whereby the machine is electrically grounded to the water supply line when the hose chine comprising a tub having a working opening in the top thereof, a hollow metal fixture for 1 liquid fixedly carried at the top of the tub and in electrical contact with the structure of themechine and defining a nozzle adapted to discharge into the upper portion or the tub, a liquid supply hose connected at one end to said fixture, a fitting at the other end of said hose for 'detachably connecting the same to a water supply line, and electrically conducting means carried by the hose having electrical contact with said fixture and fitting whereby the machine is electrically grounded to the water supply ,line when the hose is connected thereto, the exterior of said fitting being of substantial size and formed from an electrically insulating material whereby its manual manipulation may be readily efiected without danger to the operator.

4. Aportable electricallyoperated laundry machine comprising a tub having a working opening in the top thereof, an ambulant supporting structure for the tub having electrically non-conducting fioor-engaging wheels, a hollow metal fixture for liquid fixedly carried at the top of the tub and in electrical contact with the structure of the machine, said fixture having a nozzle adapted to discharge into the upper portion of the tub, a liquid supply hose connected at one end to said fixture, a fitting at the other end of said hose for detachably connecting the same to a water supply line, and electrically conducting meanscarried by the hose having electrical contact with said fixture and fitting whereby the machine is electrically grounded to the water supply line when the hose is connected thereto, the exterior of said ARTHUR W. SEYFRIED. 

